6. Chapter Six: A time in which trees fall and thunder never that stops

The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.

Winston Churchill

At first Tala had thought the rumbling thunder was, well thunder. Everyone soon realized it was not so though, as it did not roll, and rumble. It came in staccato notes, boom…boom…boom. All the wolves started to grow anxious about where and what it was coming from. Even Leela knew something was wrong. Something had to be done. Marrok now recovered from everything, Marrok now recovered from everything, put together a party of the fittest wolves and a couple of disposable omegas. The group contained of Leela, himself, Awena, Olive and of course Deputy Froths.

“Please let me come” Tala had pleaded to him as they ate their last meal before the left.

“Like I have said, no I need someone to look over the pack and who better than you?”

“Yes but like I have told you the old alpha’s mate can do it she is more than capable.”

“No. that is the last time I will say it. You will just have to deal with my decision and leave it where it is!”With that, Marrok turned with the rest of the group and started to leave while Tala watched in disbelief. I will have to follow you instead then, Tala thought as the searching party disappeared in the trees. Once the group had gone from sight the rest of the pack reluctantly dispersed. All except Tala. As the other wolves bustled around her time slowed to a crawl around her. Soon reality seemed to fade away in to a dream like state she went.

A strong sterile scent stung in Tala’s nose, s did scents of food. However, the smells were not of the same she usually smelt. The food smells were slightly burned smelling but with a hint of sweetness. Humans were going on their business all around her. Soon Tala realized she was wearing clothing, even a hat. Tala’s tail hurt too. When she looked down at herself, she saw a large bulge where her tail was supposed to be. The clothing she realized were pressing hard again and just as before it and seemed to be squishing it. A muffled voice came in front of her. That sounded as if it were talking through water.

“What?” she said to the man next to her “sorry I have a hearing problem, surgery,” A forced smile plastered itself to her face as she faced an old man bundled again and just as cold.

“I asked about your bulge, is that too private though?”

“Oh! Um, well sort of I kind of had surgery there too”

“What kind of surgery?”

“Well the- you know it is actually kind of private I better get going, good bye sir- what is your name exactly?”

“George, George Peterson if you ever want to talk about your surgery this card will tell you where to find me miss, what your name again?”

“Cadence Geothe,” For some reason she did not lie, as she had before. I wouldn’t matter much though, no one in this town new about the Geothe family.

“Well nice meeting you, I look forward to see in you in the future miss Geothe.” George handed Tala a card, on it was the old man’s name and that her was a physiatrist. Tala almost kick herself she had almost told him about what her father had done to her.

“Okay,” just need to go to a place where he would never find her. A place where nothing would hurt her ever again, where she would have a loving family. Forever and always.

Tala’s eye has fluttered open. Not more than seconds had passed.

“My name is Cadence?” Tala had always been Tala but now , now, she had to be Cadence Geothe. Who was Cadence Geothe? How could Tala become someone that she did not know? Was she Tala or Cadence? Cadence or Tala? Tala shook her head to clear it even though she knew it would not help her. I need to find the rumbling Tala decided it would be something for her to do. In addition, Tala knew that Awena would be someone she had to talk to. Maybe she could tall Tala what was happening to her. The only reason Marrok had taken the pack seer with him was just in case they would need her supernatural cures or devices to get rid of the rumbling.

Within a couple minutes Tala had caught up with the search group. Awena, Tala knew, already knew that Tala was stalking the group. However, she did not say a thing. For she was not asked to tell them if they were being followed.

Tala, not the quietist in the pack had known for a while now how to track her prey without being noticed for every step on a leaf she made in to looking like something nature made. Slowly the sun made its way to the horizon setting a golden glow over the white landscape. A couple hours of searching led the little pack to a small caved in part of earth. Most likely it had once been home to a rather large fox family for there was a part of the ground that led into the dank earth. But the moist ground was the warmest place around so one by one each and every wolf squeezed inside to sleep off the night. Tala did not wasn’t to follow the wolves in directly so she stayed behind in the frigid air out side until of course she knew every wolf was asleep and her fingers were tinged blue. Puffed of air flew out of Tala’s nostrils as she crawled into the warm crevice. The crevice was hot actually. The wolves’ body heat had warmed the hole. A small light grew from the side of Tala.

“I was wondering when you were going to come in” Awena spoke without making eye contact, her small fire made the room only warmer and did little for light but Tala did not need light. For she knew how each wolf was and how they would sleep.“ I am guessing you are wanting my help with a vision?”

“yes, how did you know?”

“I know a great and many things”

“Well I have had two… visions now and I think they might be memories”

“yes and what would these memories be?

“Well in the first I am sitting just outside of the forest and I am getting to know my tail and my ears and then I walk in to the forest. “

“I see so that must by your last ‘before’ memories and the second?”

“In the second I am in a city, human city, and I talk to an old man. The man almost finds out about my tail and ears. Apparently they are not ones that I was born with; in fact they are ones that were given to me by something called surgery.”

“mmmhmm….” Awena was silent for a long while before looking at Tala solemnly “Tala…you are human, pure human, all wolf inside of you is completely artificial.” Awena’s gaze softened as she saw Tala’s face fall. “I am sorry that I must bring you this news.” Tala sat down in shock. How had in all these years that she had lived not known that she was human. No that was a lie, she had known she was human however, she had always just assumed that she was only a human and wolf hybrid. Now Tala knew that through her blood ran human and through her brain, no wolf attributes existed. Tala now had to doubt everything she knew.

“One more thing Awena, “the old wolf turned to listen to Tala one last time “also in the second dream I said my name was Cadence Geothe, how- how is it that my named changed after I forgot everything?” Tala drew in a sharp breath as the pained expression Awena had put on.

“I believe that as you forgot everything during your forgetting time, you chose a name that would let you have a new life. All new memories and all new family. So that your scars are not erased, but covered by a dark cloud. Do you understand? The first memory you had was the trigger, now a great many regular things will bring on memories. Some you will love and be grateful for the chance to know them once again and just as before,” Awena grew silent for a moment before saying flatly as if she had experienced what Tala was going through. “However the others will remind you of why you forgot them.” Tala grew silent and stepped away from Awena. She needed fresh crisp air the only thing that seemed to make sense now. When Tala stepped outside the darkness of the night was turning from the navy color that it had, to the light gray of morning filled with clouds. She sighed, how was she going to explain her being a human to Marrok let alone the entire pack? Surely, she would be discarded from their home and put out in the cold to die alone. How could Marrok love a monster like her?

“What are you doing here?” the five words that were spoken were owned by Marrok and only Marrok. When she turned tears glistened in her eyes. “I am so sorry” was all she could bear to say as she turned and hugging his thick soft fur crying in to it. Even after Tala’s tears had dried, she stayed hugging Marrok. He though stiff and obviously, self-conscious about what the pack thought did not move. Tala slowly and robotically got up. She started to follow the rest of the mini pack as each awoke and crawled out of the little burrow. Marrok did not ask why she had said she was sorry. Moreover, Tala did not tell him. For there was no reason. Not yet at least.

After a day’s journey, the group found the place of where the thunder that was not thunder was coming from. Trees were falling at the hands of humans. They held stick thin and length tubes of metal. Protruding from the metal were lights that burned through the trees. The steady rumble was much louder here than it had been at the pack grounds. For the rumble came from a large machine with wheels that shook and rattled. In went trees and out? Out came leaf thin sheets of it. A dizzy feeling came over Tala that she had felt only twice before now. She started to stumble and trip as they quickly trotted over the terrain. Marrok was the first to notice.

“Tala!” He rushed to Tala’s side as she finally stumbled to the ground in a bumping motion. “Awena! What is wrong with her?” Awena just shook her head and replied bluntly “she is having a memory.” Marrok said something but in Tala’s ear it came out garbled as she faded in to her dream world.

Tala was in a room filled with paper. This was her hide out for the night. The fresh paper smell was only unpleasant to a regular human nose but Tala’s nose was special, for it was made to smell as well as a wolf would smell. Therefore, the sharp chemical smell stung and burned her nose. At least it was safe. I should find a place to sleep she thought. In addition, looked around for anything that might make a sufficient bed. After searching through pile after pile of wet or especially chemically paper stacks. Cadence finally came upon a pile that was stuck in the corner of the room labeled unwanted or bad paper. She though found it particularly comfy compared to some of the beds she had slept on, such as piles of brick, splintery wood, and even once a mess of discarded and slimy vegetable remains and worms that would squirm on to you as you slept. Therefore, the stacks of paper were a relief. As Tala settled down for the night and listened to the constant whirring of paper machines. Her eyes soon grew heavy and she almost dreamt. However, they were only day dreams of times with a boy who in the memory was faceless but he seemed understanding and nice. Laughter came from her memory inside a memory. “I wish I could stay “she told the boy.

“why can you not stay?”

“I – I just have to leave.” Cadence turned and ran, the estate was far off. She need to get home before dark or he would be angry, also he had told her he had a surprise for her. Moreover, well Cadence loved surprises so she had to return him before dark if she was to enjoy the new toy or gadget that she was to receive. As Cadence came upon to the door of the great big house, the memory faded away.

Tala’s eyes opened to shouting, or rather barking. Marrok was being held back from her by Awena and Froths as he furiously fought to get to her. As Tala shakily stood both froths and Awena dropped Marrok making him stumble forward. The two male stood open mouthed at Tala but Awena just walked forward.

“You have been out for only a couple minutes, but you seem different.” Tala looked about herself and found nothing different about herself.

“How so?” she asked Awena but Awena said nothing. Finally Marrok and froths snapped out of their dazes and Marrok just whispered “My Kyan, you have another name and you have loved someone before.”

“How do you know?”

“You have two soles” Awena replied for him. “Two lives”

“But how do you know I loved someone before you?”

“You- you said a name, mark. And you said it with love”

“But In the memory I did not say his name”

“memories are strange things” was all Awena said before she turned and nodded to the human crew to signal that they need to deal with them before Tala. All of them took the hint, all except Leela that is who had zoned out during Tala’s whole fiasco.

“Tala?” she asked innocently “what is your other name?” so she had been listening.

“My other name? “ Tala sighed now the other three were very interested in what Tala was to say as they grew nearer to the humans, “my other name is Cadence Geothe.” Awena nodded and the rest tried out the name in their mouths and minds to see how they tasted.

“I do not like that name,” Leela remarked sure of herself and in a voice much as a toddler’s who wanted to sound grown up. Not long was the group walking until they came to the human camp out. Tala like always stayed behind for she could not kill another human since she was human, she would never killed one again. Leela turned before remembering that Tala was human. So Tala sat and watched as one by one every wood smith was killed and one less tree killed. Tala wandered after a while and found a notice nailed to a tree.

Deforestation/relocation project

To all that read this notice,

This forest (Hudson Bay Forest) is to be cut down and all wolves found are to be tranquilized and turned in to the address located at the bottom of this notice,

This creature is extremely dangerous if seem is to be tranquilized and brought to the address at the bottom of this notice.

Address: 15th walnut grove, building 7011, second basement level.

Tala did not know how she could read the notice or why a description of her was on it. The only and most important thing on the notice was that wolves were being taken out of the forest. In addition, she was living with wolves. Some human had to know about this, some human that cared for her. Some human like Jack! Tala was very excited now and turned to tell Leela and the rest where she would be. However, when she turned time seemed to slow as she watched a light from the metal stick fly in to Leela’s body. The light was brought out and the rest of the wolves quickly killed the human man. Tala sprinted to Leela who now was lying in the blood stained snow and panting.

“It does not hurt much,” she whimpered bravely as blood poured out from the hole in her body. “Tala? Can I ask.. .you...a question?

“of course anything”

“okay, take care of Olive and find Jack… he… will… love you… as the human you are,” Tala felt tears come down but she did not care that she was crying. Tala already knew Leela was dead but still she told her that she would. Then she wept and howled. She howled for Leela and she howled so that the whole of the world would know her pain and would know her loss. Then as Tala wept she decided that she would never be, could never be Cadence Geothe again.